1 . Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to: (1) aggregating agents for treating solid materials, surfaces, and/or substrates including metal oxide or ceramic solid materials, surfaces, and/or substrates (natural or synthetic), metallic solid materials, surfaces, and/or substrates, or other types of solid materials, surfaces, or substrates while improving the hydrocarbon liquid and gas flow, (2) treated materials and (3) methods for making and using same.
More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relates to aggregating agents for particulate solid materials, surfaces, and/or substrates, where the aggregating agents modify surface properties of the materials, surfaces, and/or substrates increasing their aggregating propensity or properties. The present invention also relates to coated or modified materials, surfaces, or substrates, where the coating modifies surface properties of the materials, surfaces, and/or substrates to improve the liquid hydrocarbon or gas fluid flow around and through the solid materials, surfaces, and/or substrates. The present invention also relates to methods for altering an aggregation propensity of materials, surfaces, or substrates especially in downhole applications and in any other application, where altering an aggregation propensity of particulate solid materials, surfaces, or substrates is desirable or beneficial. The present invention also relates to methods for altering surface properties of materials, surfaces, or substrates especially in downhole applications and in any other application, where altering surface propensity of particulate solid materials, surfaces, or substrates to improve hydrocarbon liquid or gas flow through or around the solid materials is desirable or beneficial.
2 . Description of the Related Art
Historically, the problem of aggregating particulate materials downhole has been addressed using epoxy resins, phenolic resins and tackifying agents as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,833,000; 5,871,049; 5,775,425; and 5,787,986.
More recently, reactions products alkyl pyridines and phosphate esters were introduced as inner salt of alkyl pryridinium phosphate ester products, which resulted in a decrease in a zeta potential of the substrate and therefore helped agglomeration properties of the as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,392,847.
Although these products are useful for aggregating or agglomerating particulates and treating formation surfaces and/or particles, there is still an need in the art for products that can augment aggregating or agglomerating properties of particles and/or surfaces and/or augment fluid flow of fluids through or around particles and/or surfaces.